Born To Die
by LeanaVine
Summary: AU. The Croatoan virus has spread all over the states. Not many people are left alive. Dean travels across America looking for Sam, who he knows must still be alive. Along the way he picks up a mysterious hitchhiker named Castiel. (Includes major character death. Warning of violence, depression, suicide, and minor character death. Hinted Destiel, Dean/Castiel.)


**A/N: **I hope you guys like this story. When I started this (a long time ago, actually) I wasn't too far into the series. I guess this would be like somewhere in season two… When did they meet Castiel? Well, it was after the first time they had to deal with the Croatoan virus and before they met Castiel. And there won't be other angels or any demons in this story. This is why it's AU, it's very conditioned.

Oh, and as always, my views are not shared or expressed by any of the characters in this story or any of my other stories.

Please read, review, and enjoy my first Supernatural story!

* * *

It had been five months since Dean Winchester had heard anything from his little brother, Sam. Dean couldn't rightly call him his "little brother", but he couldn't help it. In Dean's eyes, Sam would forever be that little boy that looked up to him as a hero in their father's absence. No matter what the world was like or what it had put them both through, it would always be that way.

Sam was immune to the Croatoan virus, so he'd taken 8 able-bodied men with him to push ahead while Dean stayed behind with the two youngest men, and one pregnant, teenage girl.

They hadn't known originally, when they picked up Brittney and her companions, that she was pregnant. Even if they had, they wouldn't have pushed her away. It just made things more complicated. Sam and Dean had decided that it would be best for Dean and two other men to stay behind to watch her, hopefully until she had her baby, and Sam would go ahead with the other men to clear a path for them to eventually follow.

Dean had been apprehensive about letting his younger brother out of his sight, but this was something that he didn't have a choice in the matter. Sam was depending on him to watch over Brittney and the other two young boys that he had affectionately nicknamed Chip and Dale.

Before Sam and the others had left, they cleared out a small store that had a pharmacy in the back. Not many Croats had been inside to begin with, so it was easy to make the place a safe environment. The next step was boarding up all the doors and windows, leaving only the back door unblocked. This way, Dean and his group would have a safe place to stay until Brittney gave birth. Part of Dean worried that, if they were overrun by Croats, they'd be blocked in. He tried to hope that it would never come to that.

Everything had been moving along smoothly until just a few weeks ago, when Dean received a call on his walkie-talkie. Sam was the only one that should be able to reach him through it, but Dean wasn't expecting anything from Sam. Dean was just supposed to contact Sam when Brittney had her baby, and tell him that they'd be setting out to catch up. So, when Sam called, his voice full of static and hard to understand, Dean assumed that it must mean that they'd ran into trouble, and he told everyone to pack up.

While everyone was getting things ready - food, pain medications, water - Dean and Dale went outside, killing all nearby Croats. Surprisingly, there hadn't been too many, maybe just 12? Dean had been expecting an entire horde of Croats. Apparently, luck still existed.

They headed out that morning in a dusty, green truck. Dean had been forced to get rid of the Impala long ago. A truck made it easier to keep Croats off of their tail, one of the boys had said. Dean had been so angry that he didn't care if it was Chip or Dale or Abraham Lincoln that made the suggestion to abandon his beloved car. He had been seeing red the entire time he settled into the green truck that regrettably started at his first turn of the key. Of course, there had to be keys in the ignition. Dean changed his mind; luck was shit.

Now, as they traveled, Chip and Dale sat in the back of the truck with small, military-grade guns. Dean drove, and Brittney sat up front with him. They had brought as much food with them as they could, most of it for Brittney and the baby in her tummy that she had been calling Collin. A world riddled with the Croatoan virus was no place for a pregnant mother.

Dean couldn't remember the exact date that the virus had begun to spread. He did know that most everyone was calling the people infected zombies instead of Croats. Guess it was just common nature to call the monsters of people zombies. Dean knew what this was, though, because he'd seen it only once before. Once had been enough, he thought. In that situation, the virus had been contained, and, eventually, everything was right with the world. In this case, there could be no happy ending. At least, that was the conclusion that Dean had come to.

Dean and his group, which had been labeled playfully by Sam, Team Stragglers, only drove for two days before they had to stop off for gas. They weren't even completely sure which roads Sam's group, Team Leaders, had taken. All Dean knew was that Sam had planned to travel northwest. So, that's where Dean was heading.

But, on their third day of traveling, the Stragglers had to stop to find gas, because, as Dean had stated, "the Grinch is gettin' hungry." One could only guess that Dean called his new, green truck the Grinch because this truck stole away the happiness of owning the Impala.

So, when Dale caught sight of a gas station not too far up the road, Dean made plans to stop. It was a good thing that they found a station so close, because, by the time they rolled in, the Grinch was running on fumes.

Dean looked out the small, sliding window behind his head into the bed of the truck. "Chip and Dale, you guys go inside and look for water. I'll stay here and pump the gas." Then he looked to Brittney. "Brittney, stay in the truck."

The young girl gave him a nod, looking nervous, and all the men climbed out of the truck, which creaked loudly. Dean scowled at it before he began to pump the gas.

Chip and Dale ventured into the station, looking around for Croats, first. When they saw none, Dale began grabbing as many bottles of water as he could, putting them in a shopping bag. Chip kept watch at one of the windows, watching the roads for approaching vehicles. It had happened before that their team had been ambushed by a group of survivors looking to steal their supplies. Chip wasn't about to let that happen again.

After a minute or two, Brittney climbed out of the truck, and Dean gave her a curious look. "What're you doin'?"

She shrugged, walking quickly past him. "Pregnant girl's gotta pee," she admitted. Dean half smiled at that.

Chip was surprised to see Brittney hurrying in. "Brittney, what is it? Are you okay?"

She looked at him with stress. "Jeez, can a girl not go to the bathroom without bein' interviewed by everyone?"

With that, the boys let her run off to the restroom. Dean finished pumping the gas and walked inside to see how the boys were doing. "What's takin' so long?"

A few seconds later, a scream came from the bathroom, and all three boys were scrambling to see if Brittney was okay. Had the situation been different, Dean might've laughed in reaction to seeing Brittney trying to fight off a Croat with a toilet plunger. Hell, if it had been Sam, he would've been rolling on the floor. He probably wouldn't have even helped.

Chip shot recklessly at the Croat, and Dean was actually a bit surprised when he didn't hit Brittney at all. She looked terrified, sitting on the floor, hair a mess. Chip hurried over to her side. "Brittney! Are you okay? Did it get you?" She seemed frozen, unable to react. Chip put a hand on her shoulder. "Brittney, did it get you?" She finally looked up at his face, and he asked again, "Did the Croat bite you?"

Brittney was quiet for a few more seconds before shaking her head and mumbling, "No. No…I'm okay."

Chip breathed a sigh of relief. Dale looked at Dean, who seemed skeptical. "Alright, let's get out of here before any more of those things show up," Dean commanded, and he left the bathroom. Chip and Dale stayed behind for a few seconds to help Brittney up. Dean started the truck, and was waiting to be joined by the others. He was wondering how Brittney could've been so lucky, not to be bitten.

They were back on the road in no time, and Dean glanced over at Brittney, who still looked terrified. "You alright?" he asked.

She turned to look at him, her eyes still wide. "Yeah… I just wasn't expectin' that…"

"Well, consider yourself lucky," Dean told her. "You could've been bitten by that thing." Dean knew that the virus was spread by blood, but he'd seen it before where a Croat would keep cuts on its own mouth so that, if it ever bit anyone, that person would be infected. God damned Croats, being so crafty.

Brittney nodded, looking down at her belly. "Yeah, I know." She stroked a hand over her big baby bump. "I wouldn't want anythin' to happen to Collin." She smiled a little. "He actually kicked a lot when the Croat attacked us." Brittney looked up at Dean again. "He's gonna be a fighter."

Dean half smiled at her, then it faded. "Well, hopefully by the time he's grown, he won't have to be."

Brittney nodded at that, then looked out the window.

* * *

A few hours later, everyone's bladders were betraying them, including Dean. They took a unanimous vote to pull over on the side of the road. None of them objected to having to pee in the woods. They all split up, but Dean told them all not to go too far. He handed Brittney a pistol, so that they would all have a gun.

Dean had just finished doing his business when he heard screaming. The scream didn't just sound like Brittney again; this time, there were other voices.

Dean hurried through the trees, trying to find everyone. He called out their names and repeatedly blocked tree branches from slapping him in the face. He finally found Brittney bending over Dale on the ground, tearing a chuck out of his neck. Chip was trembling in the mud, not too far from them, his eyes wide. Slowly, Dean stepped forward and pulled Chip to a standing position. Brittney was occupied at the moment and didn't notice Dean telling Chip to run. She did look up in time, however, to see Dean shoot both her and Dale in the head.

For a few seconds, Dean was still. He had no immediate reaction to what had just happened. Finally, he was able to murmur, "Damn…"

When he turned and walked back towards the road, Chip was pacing, hands on his head. Dean wasn't sure what he could say. Chip looked up at Dean, his eyes emblazoned with misunderstanding. "You shot them…" he whispered.

Dean swallowed, his face firm. "I had to. You saw what I saw. She was infected."

"She was pregnant!" Chip yelled. "We should've done somethin' to save her!"

"There was nothin' we could do, Chip," Dean said with a light tone, trying to calm the boy that was still a bit of a stranger to him. Enough of a stranger that Dean didn't even know his real name. "Now, come on, let's go."

"No!" Chip screamed. "I'm not goin' anywhere with you! You killed Brittney! You killed Jet! We could've helped him!"

Jet? Oh, Dale. "She bit him, Chip. He wouldn't have had a chance. Like I said, there was nothin' else I could do."

Chip stood there a few seconds longer, fury painted all over his face, then he slowly crumpled to the asphalt, a sobbing heap. Dean just looked away from him, not sure how to console the young man. Chip couldn't have been older than 18. This wasn't something that a teenager should have to face.

After a minute or two, Dean slowly walked over and put a hand on Chip's shoulder, then proceeded to help him up off the ground without saying a word. They walked back to the truck, and Chip was slightly leaning on Dean for support. Without question, Chip sat up front with Dean, and Dean drove away.

The day was still early. Things still had a chance to become worse.

* * *

The rest of the day went on without much issue. Few Croats got in their way; Dean just ran over the ones that came onto the road. He could care less if it did damage to the Grinch.

It was later that night, as Dean and Chip stopped on the side of the road to rest, that tensions rose. Dean parked, and there was an eerie silence between the two men. They hadn't talked since the incident with Brittney and Dale, but their quietness was even more noticeable without the loud roar of the Grinch's engine.

Dean cleared his throat and pulled a gun out from between the seats. "I'll keep watch first. Why don't you rest for now?"

Chip was still and silent for a few seconds, then he slowly shook his head. "No, no you've been drivin' all day. Let me take watch." When he looked up, Dean noticed the dark bags under his eyes and the red veins circling his pupils. The boy put out his hand to take Dean's gun, and Dean found himself apprehensive to hand it over.

Dean swallowed, his eyes on Chip's hand. "I really don't mind takin' first watch."

Chip shook his head again. "No. Let me do this. It would make me feel better if I wound up getting' to shoot a Croat or two."

Dean looked up into the young boy's eyes again, and he could see how serious he was, so he handed over the gun. When Chip took it rather quickly, something in Dean's stomach sank. Maybe Chip was planning on killing him to get revenge for Brittney and Dale.

As if he could hear Dean's thoughts, Chip said, "She was my sister."

And Dean froze.

Chip half smiled a little. "Jet was my best friend. He was the one that got her pregnant." Chip laughed a little. "How did I ever let that jackass around my baby sister?"

Dean's thoughts were tripping over one another. All he managed to say was, "I'm so sorry."

Chip's half smile faded away. He looked down at the gun in his hands, and Dean tensed slightly. Chip wet his dry lips. "I don't like this world, Dean. I used to, but not anymore." He looked up, out the windshield. "What do I have to live for anymore? How is all this sacrifice worth anythin'?"

Dean half smiled, jokingly commenting, "Well, there's always pie."

Chip looked at him, his expression confused, and Dean's smile slowly faded. He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to think of what to tell the young man. Finally, he sighed. "Look, Chip - whatever your real name is - I know things suck right now, but the whole point of us stickin' around on this planet is to wait out this virus and hope that a cure comes up. There has to be somethin' that can kill Croats, other than bullets, and we're just waitin' for the day to come when our lives can go back to bein' normal." Well, Dean's life would never be normal. It never had been. But Chip was a good kid, he deserved a normal life.

Chip shook his head, looking down at the floor boards. "There's no goin' back to a normal life for me. I already lost my mom and pop, Brittney, Jet…" He looked back up at Dean, straining to hold emotions back. "I don't have nothin' no more."

After that, Chip left the front seat and climbed into the back of the truck. When a few minutes had gone by, Dean passed him a blanket through the back window. Dean had forgotten that it was the same blanket Brittney curled up with each night, and when Chip took the blanket in his hands, he silently began to cry.

* * *

It took Dean a long time to fall asleep, though he was exhausted. He felt so guilty about killing the two teens earlier that day, but he kept trying to convince himself that he hadn't had a choice - that he should consider himself lucky that he had what it took to pull the trigger.

Dean wasn't sure what he had heard right away. He'd fallen asleep, his face against the driver's side window. At first, he couldn't be certain, but then Dean was positive that he'd heard a gunshot. He slid open the window looking to the bed of the truck and called back, "Chip, you okay?"

There was no response, so Dean turned completely to look out the small window. He quickly turned away, closing his eyes. "Damn it, Chip…"

Dean decided it would be smarter to get Chip's body out of the back of the truck now rather than later. Croats would be sure to smell Chip's blood and come running. Dean didn't want to just dump Chip off in a ditch, though. Instead, he wrapped Chip in Brittney's blanket and dug him a grave. Dean was slightly nervous that Croats could be showing up soon, so the grave he dug wasn't too deep - just as deep as necessary.

Dean drove away as soon as he was done. Not a single part of him thought that his sleep would be more important than leaving that horrible spot. Dean didn't want to think about how Chip had looked with half of his head missing. It was a shame, Dean thought. Chip was really a good guy. Dean knew that there was more to it than that, but Dean tried to push every part of Chip out of his mind. He started to regret never knowing Chip's real name, then he regretted not burying Brittney and Dale like he had done for Chip. What was Sam going to think of him when he showed up without any survivors - not only that, but that _he_ was responsible for the deaths of Team Stragglers? It became so much that Dean had pull over as he struggled to clear his head.

_'I should've known better,'_ Dean thought. _'Just because he wasn't about to kill me, I thought he was fine. I never considered him killin' himself.'_

Dean took a few minutes to try to relax, then he started driving again.


End file.
